Christmas A Go Go!

With the release of their remarkable 6 track Christmas EP, UK-based Martyrs have immediately introduced a great new Christmas genre: sno-fi. A hashtag that perfectly fits their somewhat dark and atmospheric DIY indie sound, making it ideal for this season. Moreover, all the tracks on the EP have 'snow' in their title, and "they're all absolutely drenched in seasonal melancholia and a fair number of sleigh bells." We couldn't ask for more, #snofi.  All proceeds from sales go to Cancer Research UK.  The sno-fi EP is available for just £5 at their Bandcamp .  Martyrs Insta over there .  The snow fell. Let it wash over you. sno-fi ep by Martyrs More up-tempo, this track features the addictive spoken word flow and synths that take you into increasingly boisterous and noisy territories. sno-fi ep by Martyrs

Dandy Boy Records is active since 2016 (the first song appearing on Bandcamp), releases most post punk, new wave and power pop, and since 2018 they put out Christmas songs. That we've never featured on this blog. Which is sad, really. I mean, listen to this wavey, bouncey track from the 1981: Christmas in the Tenderloin by the 1981 That should've been on this blog in 2018, no? In 2021 there was a first compilation, well reviewed by Jim/Christmas Underground , and with this really really fantastic track that sounds a bit like Smashing Pumpkins' 1979: Have Yourself A Dandy X-Mas by FLTY BRGR GRL And now there's a new compilation, with new wave, folksy lullabies & power pop tunes, like this rumblin' beauty: A Dandy Christmas by Autos And this Fountains of Wayne-ish stampyerfeet'r: A Dandy Christmas '25 by The Goods Proceeds of the new compilation go to Toys for Tots .

The Coral is a great British rock band, they've been around for 30 year s and released twelve albums. But no Christmas song. Until now. A single (the vinyl's sold out , dammit) with a spoken word track, a seasonal, slightly uplifting story told by the father of one of the band members. And a piercing (hello organ!) stomping flipside called 'She Died on Christmas Day'. Haunting. Not quite the festive mood there either, but hey, that's how we like it! The Coral · She Died On Christmas Day

National Lampoon is an American national treasure, a comedy magazine, radioshow and theatre comedy show. In Europe, we got to know National Lampoon thanks to the movie spin-offs, with comedians Chevy Chase and John Belushi. The most prolific (in the 70s and 80s) were Animal House and the Vacation-series, see the movie list here . A long introduction to the song Holiday Road, written and performed by Fleetwood Mac-member Lindsey Buckingham, in 1983. Holiday Road was his fist attempt to a soundtrack, the song was used first in National Lampoon's European Vacation, and later in other ... Vacation-films. But NOT in the Christmas edition (so to speak). Somehow, the track became a Christmas Holiday classic. Though Christmas isn't mentioned in the lyrics, and Christmas isn't a factor in the first movie. The song is a pop version of a rockabilly tune, with it's galloping rhythm and easy singalong choir. At first, it became a staple among acapella-groups, as you can see in...

There is an air of mystery surrounding Haunted House Party. It appears to be an electronic project created by one or more musicians, most likely based in New Orleans. Could it be an AI-driven endeavour? This seems unlikely, as releases under this name have been appearing since 2021, as evidenced by their Bandcamp page. Among these are numerous Christmas-themed records, albums, and singles. Strangely enough we never wrote about them. In 2022 they released the album ' A Very Haunted Christmas'.  It opens with the line: “At exactly midnight on Christmas Eve, when Santa is flying overhead you hear this, ” after which an eerie guitar motif accompanied by a collection of vocal samples can be heard. The remaining fifteen tracks feature a range of experimental sounds filled with samples, electronic beats, and titles such as 'Kringle', 'Blitzen' and 'Tinsel'. At times, it reminds me of the work of People Like Us . A Very Haunted Christmas by Haunted House Par...

So the story goes like this: "On November 4, 2025, I got an email from Jason Rubin with a song attached, asking if there would be a GMR Xmas album this year. The last one was in 2020. I had been busy with ninety-six releases since then, including my massive undertaking “Olympia: A True Story”. Hmm. It was a little late to be starting such an endeavor, but WTF? I said sure and put out the word to the usual suspects. Little did I know I would get 34 tracks submitted, a giant pile of music to deal with in a very short time. So much cheeriness that I decided it needed to be split into Vol. 1 & 2, listenable piles of Christmas newness." So says the CEO of Green Monkey Records, a label that's been putting out Christmas comps since 2009. Last time was, indeed, five years ago. And with 34 songs and two albums, well, call that a comeback. Tis also A LOT to digest, but as with other Green Monkey Christmas albums , it gives great pleasure to do so. These songs stood out ...

We started blogging about Xmas songs in November 2006 ( see? ). So to celebrate 20 years, it’s time (again) for the Netherlands’ biggest Christmas blog, Christmas A GoGo, to throw its annual Christmas party. Blackbird, Blanko, Talking Trees - a duo that transforms tree pulses into synthesiser music -, The Mieters, The Lasses and The Heck will be performing at the Bovenzaal of Paradiso in Amsterdam . It’s the perfect fit for a Christmas site that claims to showcase ‘the weird and the wonderful.' On Monday, 22 December, the musical pine tree waft will be spread by: Blackbird. In the past, Merel Koman gave us her own Christmas hits, such as the smash ‘Christmas Getaway’. On her new EP (on green vinyl ), ‘Mama Made Christmas’, you’ll hear Het Metropole Orkest backing her up. Paradiso plans to be the tree-topper of her Christmas tour. The Lasses. This duo met at an Irish pub in Amsterdam. They’ve put out four albums, performed countless shows, and now they have a Christmas a...

A special and limited 7-inch single has been released by Sundazed : Dr. John playing 'Silent Night' on piano. The single contains two takes, both recorded sometime in 1981–1982. On side A you can hear him start over a few times. This version was previously released on the CD edition of ' Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack ' (1989). On the other side is 'Silent Night Take Two', which has never been released before.

As far as I could tell, we at CAGG have never written about the American label Rum Bar Records from Boston. I could only find this post   on their band Beebe Gallini. They’ve been releasing punk/rock ’n’ roll Christmas music for a few years now. This year no fewer than three vinyl singles have been released. First up is a fast, punk-like version of Darlene Love’s ' Baby Please Come Home' by a bunch of old punks: Greg Antista and the Lonely Streets. Christmas, Baby Please Come Home by Greg Antista and the Lonely Streets At Rum Bar Records they also venture into lounge, with this soft jazzy, pink-tinted single ' It’s Martini Time' by the duo Velveteen Lounge, which instantly transports you into the world of kitsch, Martinis, and Tiki bars. Velveteen Lonunge Kitsch-en Christmas (Velveteen Lounge Records) by Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en The third single features two bands. On one side you’ll find Hilken & Melissa (feat. Kay Hanley) with the country-tinged ' Wh...

Christmas for a good cause. 'A Wild Christmas, We Broke Santa' by Shapes Like People is raising funds for the Stars Appeal with this awesome track. Indie pop couple Kat & Carl Mann originally wrote it for their new album, "but it didn't quite fit, so we've given it a Christmas makeover". Cheerful jangle-pop, sleigh bells, a late eighties crystalline sound with great singing (think Miki Berenyi and more recent Lana del Rey) and that typical Christmassy feel. But as sweet as the song is, so hard is their Christmas. Grandma is so drunk, her teeth fell out and who put tequila in the turkey brine anyway? Merry Christmas, great song!   Stars Appeal are aiming to raise £2million this calendar year to enhance care for patients across all wards and departments at Salisbury District Hospital, and support the NHS staff who care for them.  Donate via Bandcamp .  Shapes Like People Insta over there .  A Wild Christmas, We Broke Santa by Shapes Like People

No reason to stop posting songs that prove that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Sure, the proof is overwhelming; see here , here , and here . And the songs about John McClane, Nakatomi Plaza, Hans Gruber and the movie just don't stop. We had this one recently. And there's still more. Yippee-ka-yay! From a Very Cherry Christmas Vol. 16 (2022), and now available on the Bandcamp of Get the Fuck Outta Dodge themselves, this tornado of a track: Well, if Die Hard is a Christmas film, then this is definitely a Christmas song by Get The Fuck Outta Dodge In Spanish, and no lyrics to translate, but McClane and Yippee-ka-yay are mentioned, so this gotta be good: Famoso cantante norteamericano by Patada Voladora From 2014, and somehow overlooked in earlier posts, this Iron Maiden-inspired track that just take a minute of your time: Shit We Learned From Iron Maiden by Al Bundie's Army From 2012, proof that repetition works best if you want to make an uplifting punkrock song:...

Straight from Santa Guuz' corner this tip for another 'Santa Baby' cover. Less loud than the one in the previous post by ugly ozo, but yet not to be missed. This one's done by Rosie Mac and is slow, jazzy mellow, and sexy. The actress, model and singer from England made this smooth version that can easily compete with the seductive versions recorded by Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Taylor Swift, Trisha Yearwood, Ariana Grande and Gwen Stefani, to just name a few.  Rosie Mac Insta over there . 

Oh noes! Not another Santa Baby cover, right?! Sorry... But hold off on switching channels for a moment, give it 2 minutes and 7 seconds and let yourself be carried away. Because what Jessica Baker, a.k.a. ugly ozo from the Isle of Wight, UK does with this 1953 classic by Joan Javits and Philip Springer is truly ultra seductive and deliciously mean, especially halfway when the loud shoegazey guitars start to interfere. Forget about Madonna , Kylie Minogue , Taylor Swift , Trisha Yearwood , Ariana Grande and Gwen Stefani , this is da Santa shit!   The ugly ozo Insta over there . 

December is just around the corner, so the Christmas releases increase. Here's another quick round-up: Wake Up & Smell The Sun is a regular on this blog, and the new trilogy of songs is mighty strong. For a big review, go over to Jim/Christmas Underground . Here at CAGG, we bang our heads to this sweaty buffalo of a Christmas rock song: Icicle Miner Key Yuletide Trilogy by Wake Up And Smell The Sun Marta Arpini is Italian, lives in Holland and writes pretty folksy dreampop songs. This Christmas is her first Christmas song, it's inspired by Santa Baby and Marta says: ' I hope This Christmas makes you feel light, sparkly and soft, warmly mysterious, like a half-smile or a gaze that holds eye contact, sweet and inviting. Maybe it will make you sway, or swoon, or float a bit.' This Christmas by Marta Arpini Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Mangan wrote this beautiful Christmas song with great brass and strings, and very smart lyrics: 'Maybe that’s just C...

Quick round-up of recent Dutch additions to the Christmas canon: Blackbird, she who will shine like a diamond on the upcoming CAGG Night in Paradiso , released her Christmas EP on green vinyl today . It features tracks that we know (like this one , and this one ), and also an acoustic version of this New Year's song: Douwe Bob & Miss Montreal's Please Just Come Home is a ballad with a slight country-vibe, with a universal feeling of longing (all good Xmas songs are about longing, as you know) and the bells to make it seasonal. Miss Montreal knows a thing or two about writing original Christmas tunes, her 'Being Alone at Christmas' is considered a Dutch Xmas classic. She also wrote Christmas Hearts . Not an original, but a Mexican rocking version of the ole Feliz Navidad by Dutch Xmas queen Judy Blank (she of California Christmas ) from an EP called Season's Beatings with more covers, by the Beach Boys for instance. Blanko & Ellen ten Damme, th...

Not only does Québec's MLou have her cover version of 'Marie-Noël' , 'Le Sentier de Neige', 'Noël Blanc', and 'All I Want for Christmas' (banjo alert!), 'Magie d'antan' just dropped. The song brings up the good old days of Christmas when we were young, the food smelt delicious and everybody was happy enjoying the moment. Nostalgia is hot this year: comfort food is in, and MLou's mellow voice pairs extremely well with it. Dessert: 'Souvenirs enneigés'. Bon appétit! Magie d'antan by MLou Souvenirs enneigés by MLou

I didn’t know that Devo had ever released a Christmas song: ' Merry Something To You' . I had completely forgotten that we already covered it back in 2010. Read here . The track first appeared on the compilation ' Gift Wrapped Vol. II: Snowed In ' . On November 28 it’s Black Friday Record Store Day, and among the many special releases is a 12" picture disc with four versions of Merry Something To You . The drawing on the record is by Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo).  Mark also released several Christmas songs himself, such as the album ' Joyeux Mutato ' (1999) and the single ' I Don’t Have A Christmas Tree' . On the Black Friday Record Store Day lists there’s another Christmas album: a reissue of ' A Very She & Him Christmas ' (2011) on snowflake white vinyl. We already wrote about this one, here , in 2011 and again in 2021 (reissue). At the same time Blood Records drops a special coloured vinyl of this album with an extra star-shaped bonus...

Sending Christmas cards is a tradition that is slowly fading thanks to modern media. Despite this, it remains a beloved subject of hate, longing, and everything in between in Christmas music. The result: a huuuuge number of songs about it. We cherry picked a few. Take Ethan James Young for example, who wrote a song back in 2023 in which he, not too kindly, asked someone to stop sending him Christmas cards. Tough lyrics, sweet song.  Christmas Card [Explicit] by Ethan James Young John Dunbar sees it differently. At this time of year, he longs for a card from that special someone, though that's not always a resounding success either. There's no shortage of bells in this quiet indie rock song with a catchy organ. Send Me A Christmas Card by John Dunbar One of the most famous Christmas cards ever sent is, of course, the one from a hooker in Minneapolis to Charlie. This fragile yet indestructible Tom Waits classic has been featured here several times. Deschtuco from Tucs...

Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy SABERTOOTH UNICORN RELEASE DAY! Yes, THE TOOTH, as we like to call the Californians  affectionately , added yet another seasonal EP to their impressive Christmas canon. With some recurring themes. 'Same letters, same guy' , they shouted on their first Christmas record, because in TOOTH-land, there's only a fine, almost invisible line between the two S-masters. This time, they're opening the gates of hell to let Santa/Satan out: Human Santapede by Sabertooth Unicorn Excusez le mot, but that's one HELL of a way to start an album, no? Another theme the fans will spot right away, is that of the mother. This also started in 2020, with the dark singalong ' Hey Mommy, Where's Santa ', then we moved from the even darker folksy singalong 'Mommy died on Christmas' to, well, this story you have to hear for yourself. Warning, it's dark as a coal: Human Santapede by Sabertooth Unicorn But Guuzbourg, you ask, is it al...

Let's do a quick round-up of recent faves: Glasgow quartet Supernaturals released their 3rd Christmas EP, and this is the very hopeful, surefire indierock hit: Christmas EP #3 by The Supernaturals From a very versatile 13-song Christmas album, this country song about remorse: Bah Humbug Supper: A Very Bug Supper Xmas by Bug Supper The Assist wrote this duet that is more retro/60s than their other songs, but no complaints here, love the Birmingham accent, love the clap clap clap: The Assist · Divorced For Christmas Major Metals, who was on this blog earlier with his VERY good song about Die Hard & Eyes Wide Shut, has released a few more xmas trax, including a sequel to The Christmas Shoes (called The New Year Shoes), and this a'rocking version of the ole Donny Hathaway song. Hold on, for it's a bumpy ride: Tinsel by Major Metals

Lemonade Sin from London and Devon was founded in 2019 by Lee Friese-Greene and Simon Aldous. Not only is the band's name an anagram of 'Lee and Simon', but you could also say their music is a kind of anagram too, an eclectic mix inspired by the diverse bands they love. To mention just a famous few: Abba, Buzzcocks, The Velvet Underground, Blondie, The Human League and The Beatles.  This cocktail of influences creates a beautiful alt-pop indie style that they effortlessly carry over to this delicious Christmas track which is described as an anthem to dubious yuletide behaviour.  Anyway, enjoy this cheerful and Christmas cheating janglepop with great boy & girl duet singing for over three minutes "while standing by the mistletoe, next to someone I don't know" .  Oh la la, fingers crossed for that all goes well!  Their Insta over there .  

Walking in the air is a recurrent on this blog, the song from the 1982 animated film 'The Snowman' popped up several times, even recently in a version by La Nouvelle Musique ( here! ). The track, written by Howard Blake and used famously in a commercial later on, has been covered MANY times. Tis a classic! The classic status is, I guess, partly because the movie made a profound impression on many in their youth, and is still worth watching. The dreamy, angelic atmosphere, tis sung by a boy soprano, or treble voice range (or 'castrato'), the fantasy of flying with a snowman to the North Pole to see Santa Claus, it all helps. I've selected some popular, and odd, offbeat cover versions, for this is of course yer favorite offbeat Xmas music blog! But we also made a Spotify playlist with mostly conservative covers, HERE . This is the metallified cover by Finnish band Nightwish. This guitars-with-female soprano-vocals mould was copied a lot: Also quite popular,...

Ah, Fightmilk from London report for Christmas duty. The quartet, who mostly play jinglejangle indie rock but add synths, beats and comedy ( yes ) too, released their first seasonal single in 2016. Then, an EP followed (with beats and comedy), and now there's a very cool, 80s referring new wave-ish 'sad banger' that warms the coal in our stocking. 'It's a song about how you're meant to feel at Christmas compared to how you actually do, with added sleighbells!' We Only Kiss At Christmas feat. Sox by Fightmilk Still killer, from 2020: Fightmilk & Cookies by Fightmilk That first Fightmilk xmas track: The Fight Before Christmas by Fightmilk Thanks to Randy/ Hip Christmas , I can add the song Fightmilk's Lily made with Brutalligators: A Very Brutal Christmas by Brutalligators Fightmilk instagram HERE